Maternal Nativity, Race, and Ethnicity and Infant Mortality in the US
Nicolette Christodoulakis, Giulia M. Muraca

TL;DR
US-born mothers have higher infant mortality rates than non-US-born mothers, especially for full-term births, with disparities seen across racial and ethnic groups.
Contribution
This study reveals that maternal nativity is linked to infant mortality disparities, particularly among full-term births, across multiple racial and ethnic groups in the US.
Findings
US-born mothers had higher infant mortality rates than non-US-born mothers (5.4 vs 4.0 deaths per 1000 births).
The disparity was most pronounced for full-term births, with an adjusted odds ratio of 1.58.
Sudden unexpected infant death was a major cause of mortality among full-term births for US-born mothers.
Abstract
In the US, is maternal nativity or race and ethnicity associated with infant mortality, and do these associations vary by gestational age? In this cohort study of more than 25 million births from 2016 to 2022, infant mortality rates were higher among US-born birthing individuals compared with non–US-born birthing individuals. This disparity was accounted for by full-term births among those who were Black, Hispanic, White and multiracial. These findings suggest that maternal nativity status is associated with infant mortality across racial and ethnic groups, highlighting the need for investigation into the underlying factors contributing to these disparities, particularly among full-term births. This cohort study examines the associations among the birthing parent’s nativity status and race and infant mortality in the US and assesses whether these associations differ by gestational…
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Taxonomy
TopicsGlobal Maternal and Child Health · Maternal and Neonatal Healthcare · Health disparities and outcomes
